Five Times Jack Kept Rhys Guessing
by JolinarJackson
Summary: Five Times Jack Kept Rhys Guessing And The One Time He Was Found Out - Written for this queer fest prompt: Jack really shouldn't be enjoying Rhys's confusion so much, but first the man was jealous over Gwen and then he saw Jack dancing with Ianto and now he doesn't seem to know what to think. To be fair Jack's not making it any easier for him.


**Five Times Jack Kept Rhys Guessing And The One Time He Was Found Out**

_Word Count: _~ 2.800

_Summary: _What it says on the tin. Written for this queer_fest prompt: _Jack really shouldn't be enjoying Rhys's confusion so much, but first the man was jealous over Gwen and then he saw Jack dancing with Ianto and now he doesn't seem to know what to think. To be fair Jack's not making it any easier for him._

_Characters: _Jack Harkness, Rhys Williams, Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper

_Pairing: _Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys

_Rating: _PG

_Spoiler: Something Borrowed _/ Audio Book: _Ghost Train_ / Novel:_ The Undertaker's Gift_

_Setting: _starts after _Something Borrowed_, goes on until way after _Exit Wounds_

_Author's Note: _Written for queer_fest. The prompt's in the summary.

_Beta: _larsinger29, thank you!

_Disclaimer: _I'm not making money with this fanfic. The tv-show _Torchwood _and the characters appearing within it belong to their producers and creators. Any similarities to living or dead persons are purely coincidental and not intended.

xxx

**Five Times Jack Kept Rhys Guessing ...**

**1.**

The hotel lobby was quiet at this time of night, especially since there was no longer any music coming from the ballroom. The wedding was officially over and most of the clean-up done. The taxi that would take Gwen and Rhys to the airport would arrive any minute and Jack had taken Gwen aside to say goodbye. "You two go and have fun," he said with a smile and kissed Gwen's cheek. "Don't worry about Torchwood. We'll deal with everything."

"But if you really need me, you call me, right?" Gwen asked, looking torn between wanting to go on her honeymoon and wanting to stay and deal with the Rift.

"Of course," Jack answered.

"You're lying."

Jack grinned. "Of course."

She laughed and hugged him tightly, whispering, "Thank you for today. I know I gave you a hard time."

"You did," Jack said with a nod, wrapping his arms around her. "It all worked out, though, and that's the main thing." For a moment, they stayed locked in the embrace, glad that everything – indeed – had worked worked out in the end.

Someone cleared their throat and Jack let go of Gwen to turn to Ianto. "The taxi's waiting," he said, nodding at the car parked in front of the hotel.

Rhys appeared at the entrance door. "Ready to go?"

Gwen pulled a face. "I need the bathroom."

Rhys rolled his eyes. "Bloody typical." He grinned to show he was only joking and Gwen hurried off with a giggle.

Jack looked at Ianto. "How's the clean-up going?"

"Almost done. I'm going to head back home with Tosh in a minute so you'll have to deal with the rest without us. I'd stay, but she's rather tipsy and Owen refuses to deal with her."

"Meaning I'll have to give him a ride when we're done?"

"Meaning that."

Jack took Ianto's hand and pulled him close to whisper, "Meet me at the Hub?"

Ianto made a thoughtful noise.

Jack added, "Wait for me in bed, naked."

"I'll probably fall asleep the minute my head hits the pillow. I can't keep up with your level of energy."

Jack smiled indulgently. "Fine."

"See you tomorrow then?"

"No, I was serious about you staying at the Hub."

Ianto squinted mistrustfully. "Just sleeping?"

"We can have a quickie in the morning."

"You're such a romantic," Ianto teased and planted a kiss on Jack's lips. Then he left to find Tosh. Jack looked after him.

He didn't realize that Rhys had come closer until he said, "You know, I used to be really jealous of you."

Jack looked at him and smiled. "Why would that be?"

"Look at you and then look at me. Add to that the whole 'mysterious leader' attitude. I don't think a manager for Harwoods lorries can compete."

Jack shoved his hands in his coat pockets and shrugged. "Nevertheless, you're the one she chose."

"Though choice," Rhys said with a snort. "You're gay."

Jack laughed. "You people and your labels." He saw Gwen hurrying towards them from the toilets.

"Well, you are, right? You're with Ianto."

"I'm with Ianto _now_," Jack replied with a nod. He started walking back towards the ballroom, intending to help Owen with the last remains of the party. "Other than that ..." He shrugged and grinned when Rhys stared after him in confusion.

**2.**

If Jack was completely honest with himself, he did it on purpose. But Rhys's confusion and his unwillingness to just plain ask were too amusing. Jack had always been amazed at how far the people in this century would go to avoid topics they didn't feel comfortable with, but they were just so curious at the same time. It was adorable, really. So he started to have fun finding ways to confuse Rhys, and Ianto and Gwen – already used to Jack's ways – were just perfect when it came to playing along. Jack couldn't help but feel that Ianto found the situation quite funny himself. They never talked about it but sometimes, Jack caught Ianto smiling when Rhys awkwardly tried to nudge the conversation towards the matter of Jack's sexuality and how close he and Ianto were without being too obvious about it. He seemed worried that Jack was just waiting for a chance to steal Gwen away, leaving Ianto in the dust.

Even now, catching Jack's eye while he held Gwen close and swayed with her in the middle of her lounge, Rhys seemed to try not to look too jealous. When the song ended, Jack smiled down at Gwen. "Happy birthday."

She grinned. "Thank you. You could have just bought me a present, you know?"

"Where would be the fun in that? You enjoyed dancing with me at your wedding." He winked at her. "And it's certainly not a hardship."

"Well, no one's ever gifted me with a dance before."

"Really? I give them away all the time," Jack replied, then he leaned down and whispered, "Ianto quite likes them."

Later, when Jack was in the kitchen niche to fetch wine for Gwen and Ianto who were busy talking to Owen and Tosh, Rhys followed him. He busied himself opening a bottle of beer while he asked, "So, you and Ianto … you two go out a lot then? Dancing? On your dates?" There was an edge to his voice that spoke of carefully concealed jealousy.

Jack shook his head. "Not so much. We don't really do dates."

Rhys's eyes narrowed. "So you're not having dates?"

"Do we have to?"

"I don't know. Normal couples do."

Jack grinned. "I don't think we qualify as a normal couple." He winked at Rhys and went back to hand Gwen and Ianto their glasses of wine. "By the way, Gwen, that dress? Very sexy." She giggled and Jack caught Rhys frowning at him.

**3.**

Ianto was a heavy, warm weight against Jack's chest and he quite liked it. He allowed himself to get distracted from the movie for a moment to bury his nose in Ianto's hair and inhale. His fingers hitched up the hoodie Ianto was wearing to touch his skin. Ianto lightly slapped his hand. "I'm watching a movie."

"That's no excuse."

"We're not alone."

Jack looked at Rhys and Gwen on the other end of the couch and then Owen and Tosh in the comfy armchairs and sighed, turning his attention back to James Bond.

Rhys said, "You know, all the women are all over Daniel Craig as James Bond. I don't like him that much, actually."

"He certainly can't be compared to Sean Connery," Ianto replied.

Tosh shook her head. "Nobody can."

Gwen said, "I liked Pierce Brosnan."

Ianto stared at her, shocked. "The special effects were great, yes, but Brosnan?"

"He's hot."

Owen yawned. "I prefer Roger Moore," he said. Everybody looked at him. "What? If I had to chose ..."

Gwen smiled at Jack. "Who would you sleep with, Jack? If you had to chose."

Jack made a thoughtful noise. "I think Daniel Craig is sexy but I'd chose Halle Berry over him every day." He winked at Gwen. Rhys glared.

**4.**

"So, I was wondering," Rhys said and Jack looked up from the pint on the table in front of him, "you and Ianto … ever thought about living together?"

"Living together," Jack repeated, surprised by the question. He looked towards Gwen and Ianto who were at the bar waiting for their turn. The pub was busy tonight, the crowd becoming only bigger as the evening went on. They'd been here early enough to catch a relatively secluded table and Jack was glad about that. He didn't like too many people walking by them while they talked.

"Yeah, you know, one step up from dating," Rhys explained.

Jack took a sip of his beer, thinking about a suitable answer. "I haven't thought about it, yet," he admitted finally. It wasn't the truth – it wasn't a complete lie, either.

Rhys nodded and he tried in vain to suppress a grimace.

Jack felt like he was missing something. "What? What is it?"

"Just, you know ..." Rhys glanced at Gwen and Ianto as well. Gwen was laughing about something Ianto had said and slapped his arm playfully. "I was hiding in Ianto's flat when you were there, you know."

Jack knew. They'd had a long briefing about everything that had gone on during the ghost train case. "So?"

"I heard you," Rhys said.

Jack knew what Rhys meant. Quiet evenings watching a movie, teasing each other about whose turn it was to do the dishes, Jack singing along to some old song while he cooked and Ianto nodded off on the couch … those were the times they both didn't want to share with anyone. Ianto's flat was separate from Torchwood, separate from everything else. It was a shame that work had intruded, somehow, even though it wasn't Rhys's fault. So, yes, Jack knew what Rhys meant but he chose to jump to the wrong conclusion. Rhys had overheard the not-so-quiet times as well: foreplay and sex and afterglow. Jack grinned. "I know. Are you impressed?"

Rhys blushed. "I don't mean … Jesus, mate ..." He stuttered, seemingly lost for words.

Jack laughed. "You are welcome to join us any time you want, Rhys."

"Stop it!" Rhys was looking around as if he feared that anyone was eavesdropping.

"You could bring Gwen," Jack added. "We could have an orgy. Haven't had one in ages, it would be fun."

Gwen and Ianto chose that moment to return to the table. Curiously, Gwen asked, "What would be fun?" She gave Rhys a questioning glance when she noticed how flushed he was.

"Don't ask," Rhys groaned.

Ianto sat and Jack put a hand on his thigh, squeezing gently. Gwen sat next to Rhys and gave Jack a mock-glare. "What did you do to my husband?"

"Me?" Jack asked. "I was the perfect gentleman."

Ianto snorted. "Sure you were."

Jack smiled and was just glad that Rhys seemed to have forgotten about his original question. He hadn't quite figured out the answer himself, yet.

**5.**

The James Bond marathon had been Gwen's idea. Ianto thought it was splendid and Jack had been happy to tag along as long as it meant that he got to spend time away from work with both of them. They tended to get wrapped up in Torchwood a bit too much at times and, having just survived a Dalek invasion and the Earth being dragged half-way across the universe, a break was in order. Rhys was away for a few days and Gwen's flat was bigger than Ianto's, so the location of the marathon had been clear from the start. The Rift even behaved so that everything went according to plan. The three of them used the telly set in Gwen's bedroom as it gave them the chance to be more comfortable on the double bed. Just before midnight, Gwen nodded off, though, and Ianto followed her only an hour later. While Ianto had been leaning into Jack from the start, Gwen had slid towards him in her sleep. With both their heads on his shoulders and various arms and legs thrown over him, Jack felt a bit like an oversized cuddly toy, but he didn't mind much. He just relaxed and watched the movie.

And that was when Rhys returned earlier than expected just after two in the morning. Jack had two choices and being the man he was, he decided against the more sensible one: waking Gwen and Ianto. Instead, he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep as well. He heard Rhys's steps falter when he entered the bedroom and wished he'd installed some kind of surveillance camera just so he could see the look of disbelief that must be written all over Rhys's face. Jack knew that Rhys still had a jealous streak in him where Jack was concerned. He had to admit that he'd done nothing but feed it over the last year or so. It had been kind of fun. It still was.

He heard Rhys huff and the man's murderous glare over breakfast alone was well worth it.

**The One Time He Was Found Out**

The world had almost ended – again – and Jack's team had almost paid the highest price: their lives. Jack rubbed his tired eyes and got up from the uncomfortable chair the hospital provided, leaning over Ianto's sleeping form and planting a tender kiss on his forehead. "I'm going to nip out," he told Gwen softly. She looked at him with reddened, exhausted eyes. Jack smiled. "I'll get you something to eat."

"You don't have to take care of me, Jack," she answered. "I can do that myself."

"Your ankle's busted. I need a bit of fresh air and we know now that he's going to be fine." It was reasonable. At least Jack hoped it was. Truth was that he needed to get away from Ianto for a while, now that the doctors were sure that he would be fine. He needed to get away and just breathe and get rid of the feeling of being choked. It had been so close, too close, and it had been his fault. The Xilobytes had been intended for him, it was unfair that Ianto had become their target, even more so in such dire circumstances, with no time to take care of him properly, no chance to put him first.

Jack took a brisk walk down to a coffee shop and got Gwen the sandwich he'd promised, buying chocolate chip cookies for Ianto as well. As an incentive to get well soon.

When he reached the entrance to the hospital, he heard somebody shout his name and turned around. Rhys was coming towards him. "Jack," he said with a smile, "haven't seen you outside of Ianto's room for a while."

"The doctors told us an hour ago that he'll be fine," Jack explained. After three agonizing days of watching Ianto fight for every breath.

Rhys nodded. "That's brilliant." They entered the hospital together. "I've come to pick up my wife," Rhys said as they headed for the elevators. "She really needs to get some rest now that things are looking up for Ianto."

"I agree but she still won't budge from Ianto's side. Maybe you can convince her now." Jack gave Rhys the carrier bag with the sandwich. "I've brought lunch for her. I thought … I thought she might need it." He was a bit ashamed for not looking after Gwen properly the last few days. Ianto had been his first priority.

Rhys looked inside the bag. "Cookies. She'll like those."

"Actually," Jack answered and they entered the elevator, "those are for Ianto. He loves them."

Rhys looked at him thoughtfully. "You know, I spent some time trying to figure out what a bloke like Ianto could see in you."

The remark hit Jack unexpectedly and he looked at Rhys in confusion. "How do you mean?"

"He's a good guy. Don't get me wrong, you are as well, but he obviously adores you and all I could see for a while was you flirting with others, making remarks about threesomes and coming on to Gwen pretty strong. That's not real, though, is it?"

Jack smiled tiredly. "Well, I would never say no if-"

"Shut up, Jack," Rhys interrupted him. "Just tell him that you love him and get it over with already. You don't fool me anymore, you know. You're all words and wild stories and that's it. You may be the man you pretend to be when you're single but … I figured you out. You might not be gay or bisexual or whatever you may call it but you are one thing for sure when you're in love and that's monogamous." The elevator doors opened and Rhys walked out, blocking the door with his foot. "You love him," he said, holding up the bag, "and I've got cookies to prove it." He stepped back, smiling. "Or have you already told him?"

Jack grinned while the doors slid closed and answered, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Rhys rolled his eyes when the doors closed.

END

04/12


End file.
